The common household toilet is the European toilet, i.e., for sitting, instead of squatting. Therefore, a common argument is whether the toilet seat and lid should stay lifted or closed, and which user (the male or the female) is responsible for lifting and closing. Also, an even more common complaint is that many users consider lifting and closing the toilet seat or lid inconvenient or unhygienic.
Some designs are developed to solve the aforementioned inconvenience, for example, the use of spring to make the toilet seat automatically lifted when not pressed. While the spring-based lifting device saves the users from the act of lifting, the female user or the male user for the excretion purpose must hand-press the toilet seat before using the toilet. Another concern is that it may be considered not hygienic keeping the toilet lid lifted while flushing after using the toilet as the swirl caused by the flushing may carry the microbes or bacteria in the excretion or urine in the air. Also, a closed lid may reduce the flushing noise.